Posture guide



POSTURE GUIDE ep 9, 1941- D. R. BRADY 2,255,100

Filed March 1'7, 1939 Patented Sept. 9, 1941 POSTURE GUIDE David 1:.Brady, Detroit, Micln, assignor to David 1!. Brady and J. Windsor Davis,as joint trustees for Brady Research Com ioint-ventm-e company Aplication March 1'1, 1939, Serial No. 262,398

1 Claim.

This invention relates to shoes and has for its object to provide aseating and positioning means shaped to form a complete seating andpositioning means for the butt of the heel, and particularly the heelbone itself, said .seating means being designed to throw the weight ofthe wearer to a predetermined small zone to enforce proper acceptance ofthe weight by the heel butt and by the shoe. More specifically, theseating means is designed to throw the weight from the inside, where itoften occurs by reason of poor or incorrect posture, toward the centerand outside of the shoe, a limiting seating portion being provided atthe outside, and a rear limiting portion which prevents the heel bonefrom seeking a position too close to the back wall of the shoe is alsoprovided.

Another object is to provide corrective heel seating means in the formof an insert which, although permanently associated with the shoe, maybe placed in any shoe after its manufacture, according to a chiropodistsprescription, or as by a fitter or sales house.

' Improper posture and weight distribution resulting fromimproperrelation of the foot bones with respect to the-leg bones asevidenced by inward rolling and consequent flattening of the arch of thefoot results in a foot attitude which embarrasses proper functioning ofthe several parts of the foot. In the case of children, with the bonesstill in a cartilaginous state, the entire foot assumes an unnatural anduncomfortable form if the condition is allowed to continue for a longperiod of time. Rolling and flattening of the arch shifts the weightordinarily distributed between the first and fifth metatarsal bones insuch manner as to place abnormal weight on the first or inner metatarsalbone, and usually results in discomfort to the wearer as well asdeformation of the first metatarsal bone. This is a cause of bunions.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for correctingone-sided weight imposition and resultant interference toproperfunctioning of the parts of the foot, to prevent one-sided developmentof bones and muscles during ossification in order to form a proper arch.As distinguished from prior corrective means which attempt to correctthe condition here referred to by forced elevation of the arch and whichmight be defined as removing the effect, this invention corrects thecause. By removing the effect and permitting the cause to remain, thecorrection is not permanent, whereas the present pany, Detroit, Mich, a

for permanent correction without the use of the conventional archsupport. 1

Lack of equilibrium or equipoise due to faulty posture resulting inunnatural weight distribution evidences itself also in the legs,particularly at the ankles and knees. Rotation of the foot about theankles causes convergence of the leg bones from the ankles toward theknees. The present invention corrects the cause of this condition andalthough particularly adapted for causing permanent correction by useprior to ossification as in the case. of children it has as an importantobject to provide posture correcting means for athletes.

In the case of athletes, runners for example,

the major portion of the body weight is carried fully apparent asreference is made to the accompanying drawing wherein my invention isillustrated, and in which:

, Fig. l is a vertical section of a shoe equipped with the presentcorrective seating means,

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1,

Figs. 3 and 4 are sections taken respectively on the lines 33 and 4-4 ofFig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a. plan of the insert, and

Fig. 6 is a plan illustrating a method of making the insert.

More particularly, I designates a shoe having an inner side wall 2, anouter side wall 3, and a rounded back wall 4 uniting the inner and outerwalls, all of said walls being attached to the sole 5 in the usualmanner. In the rear or heel portion is provided an insert 6 whichconstitutes a seating and positioning means for the heel of a foot. Theinsert, as viewed in plan, might loosely be termed U-shape, with therounded portion of the U-shape fitting into the rounded heel portion ofthe shoe, and the two arm portions extending along the walls 2 and 3,respectively.

The arm portion 1, which extends along the inside wall 2 of the shoetapers from an inner edge 8 of zero height to a crest 9 of varyingheight. The entire crest 9 is disposed a substanmeans removes the causeand therefore provides tial distance above the sole 5 of the shoe, incon- The outside surface of the portion 1 is shaped to correspond to theinner shape of the shoe and its exposed surface slopes arcuately at acomparatively steep angle from its edge of zero height to its crest.That portion of the crest 9 having the greatest height is disposed at apoint substantially directly beneath the ankle of the wearer.

The portion II, which extends along the outside wall 3 of the shoe, issubstantially shorter than the portion 1. From its inner edge I! itslopes arcuately upward from zero height to a crest l3 engaging theouter wall of the shoe, and whose height is substantially less than thecrest 9.

The rounded portion I5 integrally unites the two portions 1 and II tocomplete the U-formation, and this portion also tapers from zero heightupwardly and outwardly. The several portions of'the U-formation are thusunited with the different characteristics as to their contour, size andthickness gradually merge one into the other.

The seating and positioning elementis formed separately from the shoeand is secured therein by a suitable adhesive. Ordinarily it is coveredby an insole or liner, to conceal the same, but, inasmuch as the linerforms no part of the invention and could serve only to render theinvention less apparent in the illustration, it has been omitted fromthe drawing.

The insert is formed of resiliently flexible material which may beleather, as illustrated, or it might be formed of cork or soft rubber,the latter being suitable in case a cushioning effect is desired. Informing the insert. of leather, the leather is first blanked to therequired shape and then skived to form the desired sloped portions. Analternative method of forming the insert is illustrated in Fig. 6 whichillustrates a blank 6a formed of a straight piece of leather. The blank6a has its heel forming portion 15a notched at l8 along its inner edgeto permit bending thereof into the final shape shown in Fig. 5. In thecase of rubber, the desired contours may be formed by a mold.

Upon reference to Fig. 2, and imagining a foot in the shoe i, it will beseen that the flange l, in addition to creating a crowding effect towardthe outside of the shoe which shifts the weight to the outside of thefoot coacts with the flange II in causing rotation of the foot about anaxis disposed between the two flanges. This action might be defineddiiferently, that is, the flange 'I constitutes a rest or abutment forthe inside of the foot, and the flange H in engaging the other side ofthe foot at a point nearer the rear thereof, causes the foot to fulcrumabout the flange 1. The result is that the forward portion of the footis rotated clockwise which tends to elevate the arch of the foot, ortends to prevent the arch from rolling to a flat position.

The combined effect of the flanges I and H and the sloped heel portionis to provide bearing surfaces which are contacted by the fleshy heelportion of the foot and thereby to position the heel bone in a postureholding the remainder of the foot in a normal position.

What is claimed is:

A posture guide comprising an insert, said insert as viewed in planbeing of substantially U-shape and adapted to fit within the heelportion of a shoe, the arm of the U at the inside of the shoe being of alength such that it terminates slightly forwardly of the inner side ofthe ankle 'bone of the wearer, the other arm being shorter and of alength such that it terminates slightly rearwardly of the outer side ofthe ankle bone of the wearer, said arms and the portions of the U whichconnects the arms having a cross sectional shape such that their bottomand outer surfaces overlie areas of the sole and shoe upper respectivelyand such that the top surface curves concavely from the inner edges tothe outerupper edges, the outer-upper edges tapering to zero height andthe arms of the U tapering to zero width, all of said edges being ofzero thickness throughout their entire lengths, said shorter arm havinga portion of greatest height approximately midway between its terminalportion and the connecting portion of the U, said connecting portionbeing of varying height with its portion of greatest height slightlyless than that of the shorter arm and disposed approximately midway ofthe length of the connecting portion, and the longer arm having aportion of substantially.

greater height than the shorter arm disposed approximately midwaybetween its terminal portion and the connecting portion of the U.

DAVID R. BRADY.

